On Wednesday, August 08, 2018 Vanderburgh County students will be returning to school for the 2018-2019 school year. The Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up our presence and enforcement around county schools and bus routes to help make sure this school year gets off to a safe start.

The beginning of school will result in a large number of buses on the road, children getting on and off those buses, new bus stop locations, new bus routes, congestion in and around the schools, new student drivers and many other factors to be aware of as our kids return to the classroom. This year, McCutchanville Elementary School on Petersburg Road will open its doors to students for the first time.

Sheriff Dave Wedding explained, “The new McCutchanville Elementary is located on Petersburg Road between Browning Road and East Boonville-New Harmony Road. Undoubtedly some morning commuters will be caught by surprise when they encounter the increased traffic around the school." Sheriff Wedding added, "Our deputies will be patrolling all our school zone as both a deterrent and a reminder to slow down and pay attention."

The Sheriff’s Office will be increasing patrols and watching for unsafe driving behavior, monitoring bus routes for safety issues and enforcing school bus stop arm violations. At some school locations, sheriff’s deputies will be assisting school personnel with traffic direction in and out of the school parking lots and drop off zones. The Vanderburgh County Highway Department will place large school zone warning signs near schools to help warn drivers.

Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation schools, Corpus Christi School and St. Joseph School will begin their first day on Wednesday, August 08, 2018. Resurrection Catholic School begins on Thursday, August 09, 2018.

Tips for back to school safety:

If bus service is available, please utilize it.

Please take pictures of your new student before you get to the school. Do not park in the drop-off zones of any of the schools to take your child into class.

Utilize the proper restraint systems in your vehicle.

Keep your speed to a minimum and pay extra attention in and around school zones and near school bus loading areas.

When a school bus stops and a red stop arm or flashing red lights appear, children are boarding or exiting the bus. Be on the lookout for children crossing the street even after the bus has moved on.

Please, no cell phone use in the school zones while operating a vehicle and no texting at any time while operating a vehicle.

Encourage children getting on and off school buses to be very mindful of surrounding traffic, because the traffic may not be watching for them.

Give yourself plenty of time. Do not let the frustration of running late compromise the good driving decisions you make.

Please call 911 to report dangerous driving situations.

Next week's Back to School traffic enforcement comes in advance of a statewide "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" blitz, which is scheduled to run from August 10 through September 03, 2018. The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Traffic Safety Partnership will hold a news conference next week to provide the details.

Pictured above: The new McCutchanville Elementary School at 10701 Petersburg Road.

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